# Retinal integrity in human babesiosis: a pilot study

## TL;DR

This pilot study examined retinal health in patients with babesiosis and found no signs of retinal abnormalities.

## Contribution

The study is the first to investigate retinal integrity in a cohort of human babesiosis patients.

## Key findings

- Retinal exams in 10 patients with babesiosis showed no signs of retinal inflammation or damage.
- No retinal bleeding, tears, or abnormal vessel formation was observed.
- The study suggests retinopathy may not be a common complication of babesiosis.

## Abstract

Prior case reports and animal studies have reported on potential ophthalmologic complications of babesiosis, but this issue has not previously been addressed in a cohort of patients with babesiosis. This cross-sectional descriptive pilot study evaluated the retinas of patients with acute babesiosis to determine if retinal abnormalities are a feature of the disease.

We screened all patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital with laboratory confirmed babesiosis during the summer of 2023 and obtained informed consent. Patients were interviewed and underwent pupil dilation and a retinal examination using an indirect ophthalmoscope. Demographic and clinical information were obtained by questionnaire and through chart review.

Ten patients underwent retinal eye exams with results that were generally unremarkable. No study patients showed any signs of retinal inflammation, infection, retinal bleeding, retinal tears, or abnormal vessel formation that could be attributed to infection.

This small study did not find evidence of retinopathy in patients with babesiosis. Further studies with larger populations, repeated exams, and long term follow up will further elucidate the potential small vessel complications of human babesiosis.